Methylene Blue for Refractory Shock in Polytraumatized Patient: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Methylene blue (MB) has been advocated for the treatment of shock refractory to standard measures. MB is proposed to increase blood pressure in shock by interfering with guanylate cyclase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. Several studies have evaluated the vasoconstrictive and positive inotropic effects of MB in septic shock patients. However, there is a paucity of studies involving trauma patients. CASE REPORT: A 4-year-old boy was hit by a truck while riding his bicycle and was treated with fluid resuscitation at the emergency department and then taken to the operating room for damage-control surgery. He had liver, diaphragm, rectal, and thoracic injuries. At the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), he remained hypotensive despite volume, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine infusion. A dose of 0.5 mg/kg of i.v. MB was administered. During the next 2 h after MB administration, we were able to wean him off norepinephrine, and doses of epinephrine and dopamine were reduced. Ultimately, he was discharged from the PICU 13 days later in good condition. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Trauma patients who have experienced bleeding and survived the initial insult are still at risk of dying from continuing systemic hypoperfusion and the resultant multiple organ dysfunctions. Use of a low dose of MB as an adjuvant to treat shock might improve survival of these patients.

In vitro effects of extracellular hypercapnic acidification on the reactivity of rat aorta: Rat aorta vasodilation during hypercapnic acidification.

The mechanisms by which pH influences vascular tone are not entirely understood, but evidence suggests that the endothelium is involved. Here, we aimed to study the in vitro vascular responses induced by extracellular hypercapnic acidification (HA), as well as the endothelium-dependent mechanisms that are involved in the responses. We bubbled a mixture of CO2 (40%)/O2 (60%) in an organ bath; we constructed a pH-response curve (pH range 7.4-6.6) and registered isometric force simultaneously. Aortic rings from rats were pre-contracted with phenylephrine (10-6 M) and incubated for 30 min in the presence of different chemicals. The relaxations induced by HA occurred in rings with endothelium were: 1) Partially inhibited by indomethacin (10-5 M) (PGI2 pathway inhibitor); 2) Strongly inhibited by NO pathways: L-NAME (10-4 M) and L-NMMA (10-4 M) (no specific NO synthase inhibitors); L-Nil (10-3 M) (specific iNOS inhibitor); ODQ (10-4 M) (specific guanylate cyclase inhibitor), and; 4) Inhibit by tetraethylammonium (10-3 M) (non-specific potassium channel inhibitor), glibenclamide (10-5 M) (specific KATP inhibitor), aminopyridine (10-3 M) (specific Kv inhibitor) and apamin (10-6 M) (specific SKCa inhibitor). IN CONCLUSION: 1) HA causes endothelium-dependent relaxation; 2) Indomethacin failed in blocking this relaxation, but the method limitation does not allow ruling out some prostanoid role; 3) The HA vessel relaxation is mediated via cGMP/NO, and; 4) The hyperpolarization occurs by the action of potassium SKCa, KATP and Kv channels without relying on BKCa channels.

Machine learning-based risk prediction for major adverse cardiovascular events in a Brazilian hospital: Development, external validation, and interpretability.

BACKGROUND: Studies of cardiovascular disease risk prediction by machine learning algorithms often do not assess their ability to generalize to other populations and few of them include an analysis of the interpretability of individual predictions. This manuscript addresses the development and validation, both internal and external, of predictive models for the assessment of risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Global and local interpretability analyses of predictions were conducted towards improving MACE's model reliability and tailoring preventive interventions. METHODS: The models were trained and validated on a retrospective cohort with the use of data from Ribeirão Preto Medical School (RPMS), University of São Paulo, Brazil. Data from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), USA, were used for external validation. A balanced sample of 6,000 MACE cases and 6,000 non-MACE cases from RPMS was created for training and internal validation and an additional one of 8,000 MACE cases and 8,000 non-MACE cases from BIDMC was employed for external validation. Eight machine learning algorithms, namely Penalized Logistic Regression, Random Forest, XGBoost, Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, k-Nearest Neighbors, Naive Bayes, and Multi-Layer Perceptron were trained to predict a 5-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and their predictive performance was evaluated regarding accuracy, ROC curve (receiver operating characteristic), and AUC (area under the ROC curve). LIME and Shapley values were applied towards insights about model interpretability. FINDINGS: Random Forest showed the best predictive performance in both internal validation (AUC = 0.871 (0.859-0.882); Accuracy = 0.794 (0.782-0.808)) and external one (AUC = 0.786 (0.778-0.792); Accuracy = 0.710 (0.704-0.717)). Compared to LIME, Shapley values suggest more consistent explanations on exploratory analysis and importance of features. CONCLUSIONS: Among the machine learning algorithms evaluated, Random Forest showed the best generalization ability, both internally and externally. Shapley values for local interpretability were more informative than LIME ones, which is in line with our exploratory analysis and global interpretation of the final model. Machine learning algorithms with good generalization and accompanied by interpretability analyses are recommended for assessments of individual risks of cardiovascular diseases and development of personalized preventive actions.

Right hepatic vein bullet embolism: A case report.

Penetrating trauma is usually divided into stab and gunshot wounds (GSW). When considering GSW, the initial assessment involves the identification of all the wounds, to understand the projectile's trajectory as well as to determine which anatomic structures might have been damaged [1]. Rarely, the projectile might not leave the victim's body and embolize to a different region through large blood vessels. Known as Missile Embolism (ME), this uncommon complication can compromise multiple body segments, resulting in severe injuries, whether it occurs through an artery or a vein, such as pulmonary embolism, cardiac-valve incompetence, limb-threatening ischemia, coronary infarct, and stroke [2,3]. This is a case report of an 18-year-old male patient who suffered a gunshot wound and was submitted to an exploratory laparotomy which identified a laceration of the inferior vena cava. Further exams concluded that the bullet was embolized to the right hepatic vein. ME treatment will depend mostly on the bullet's placement; if located in the left circulation or arterial vessels, retrieval is the preferred treatment. It can be executed through surgical exploration or endovascular procedure [3,4,8] Venous ME has several treatment options, including conservative management if the patient remains asymptomatic [[3], [4], [5], [6], [7]]. Cases of paradoxical embolization might be managed as arterial ME [3,4].

Cannabidiol for COVID-19 Patients with Mild to Moderate Symptoms (CANDIDATE Study): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Importance: Owing to its anti-inflammatory properties and antiviral "in vitro" effect against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), cannabidiol (CBD) has been proposed as a potential treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of CBD for treating patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Design: Randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted between July 7 and October 16, 2020, in two sites in Brazil. Setting: Patients were recruited in an emergency room. Participants: Block randomized patients (1:1 allocation ratio-by a researcher not directly involved in data collection) with mild and moderate COVID-19 living in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, seeking medical consultation, and those who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. Interventions: Patients received 300 mg of CBD or placebo added to standard symptomatic care during 14 days. Main Outcome and Measure: The primary outcome was reduction or prevention of the deterioration in clinical status from mild/moderate to severe/critical measured with the COVID-19 Scale or the natural course of the resolution of typical clinical symptoms. Primary study outcome was assessed on days 14, 21, and 28 after enrollment. Results: A total of 321 patients were recruited and assessed for eligibility, and 105 were randomly allocated either in CBD (n=49) or in placebo (n=42) group. Ninety-one participants were included in the analysis of efficacy. There were no baseline between-group differences regarding disease severity (χ2=0.025, p=0.988) and median time to symptom resolution (12 days [95% confidence interval, CI, 6.5-17.5] in the CBD group, 9 days [95% CI, 4.8-13.2] in the placebo group [χ2=1.6, p=0.205 by log-rank test]). By day 28, 83.3% in the CBD group and 90.2% in the placebo group had resolved symptoms. There were no between-group differences on secondary measures. CBD was well tolerated, producing mostly mild and transient side effects (e.g., somnolence, fatigue, changes in appetite, lethargy, nausea, diarrhea, and fever), with no significant differences between CBD and placebo treatment groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Daily administration of 300 mg CBD for 14 days failed to alter the clinical evolution of COVID-19. Further trials should explore the therapeutic effect of CBD in patients with severe COVID-19, possibly trying higher doses than the used in our study. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04467918 (date of registration: July 13, 2020).

Hypoperfusion in severely injured trauma patients is associated with reduced coagulation factor activity.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that acute traumatic coagulopathy is associated with hypoperfusion, increased plasma levels of soluble thrombomodulin, and decreased levels of protein C but with no change in factor VII activity. These findings led to the hypothesis that acute traumatic coagulopathy is primarily due to systemic anticoagulation, by activated protein C, rather than decreases in serine protease activity. This study was designed to examine the effect of hypoperfusion secondary to traumatic injury on the activity of coagulation factors. METHODS: Post hoc analysis of prospectively collected data on severely injured adult trauma patients presenting to a single trauma center within 120 minutes of injury. Venous blood was analyzed for activity of factors II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI. Base deficit from arterial blood samples was used as a marker of hypoperfusion. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients were identified. The activity of factors II, V, VII, IX, X, and XI correlated negatively with base deficit, and after stratification into three groups, based on the severity of hypoperfusion, a statistically significant dose-related reduction in the activity of factors II, VII, IX, X, and XI was observed. Hypoperfusion is also associated with marked reductions in factor V activity levels, but these appear to be relatively independent of the degree of hypoperfusion. The activity of factor VIII did not correlate with base deficit. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoperfusion in trauma patients is associated with a moderate, dose-dependent reduction in the activity of coagulation factors II, VII, IX, X, and XI, and a more marked reduction in factor V activity, which is relatively independent of the severity of shock. These findings suggest that the mechanisms underlying decreased factor V activity--which could be due to activated protein C mediated cleavage, thus providing a possible link between the proposed thrombomodulin/thrombin-APC pathway and the serine proteases of the coagulation cascade--and the reductions in factors II, VII, IX, X, and XI may differ. Preservation of coagulation factor activity in the majority of normally and moderately hypoperfused patients suggests that aggressive administration of plasma is probably only indicated in severely hypoperfused patients. Markers of hypoperfusion, such as base deficit, might be better and more readily available predictors of who require coagulation support than international normalized ratio or activated partial thromboplastin time.

Clotting factor deficiency in early trauma-associated coagulopathy.

BACKGROUND: Coagulopathic bleeding is a leading cause of in-hospital death after injury. A recently proposed transfusion strategy calls for early and aggressive frozen plasma transfusion to bleeding trauma patients, thus addressing trauma-associated coagulopathy (TAC) by transfusing clotting factors (CFs). This strategy may dramatically improve survival of bleeding trauma patients. However, other studies suggest that early TAC occurs by protein C activation and is independent of CF deficiency. This study investigated whether CF deficiency is associated with early TAC. METHODS: This is a prospective observational cohort study of severely traumatized patients (Injury Severity Score ≥ 16) admitted shortly after injury, receiving minimal fluids and no prehospital blood. Blood was assayed for CF levels, thromboelastography, and routine coagulation tests. Critical CF deficiency was defined as ≤ 30% activity of any CF. RESULTS: Of 110 patients, 22 (20%) had critical CF deficiency: critically low factor V level was evident in all these patients. International normalized ratio, activated prothrombin time, and, thromboelastography were abnormal in 32%, 36%, and 35%, respectively, of patients with any critically low CF. Patients with critical CF deficiency suffered more severe injuries, were more acidotic, received more blood transfusions, and showed a trend toward higher mortality (32% vs. 18%, p = 0.23). Computational modeling showed coagulopathic patients had pronounced delays and quantitative deficits in generating thrombin. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty percent of all severely injured patients had critical CF deficiency on admission, particularly of factor V. The observed factor V deficit aligns with current understanding of the mechanisms underlying early TAC. Critical deficiency of factor V impairs thrombin generation and profoundly affects hemostasis.

The natural history of trauma-related coagulopathy: implications for treatment.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhage is a leading cause of death in trauma patients and coagulopathy is a significant contributor. Although the exact mechanisms of trauma-associated coagulopathy (TAC) are incompletely understood, hemostatic resuscitation strategies have been developed to treat TAC. Our study sought to identify which trauma patients develop TAC and the factors associated with its development, to describe the natural history of TAC, and to identify patients with TAC who may not require hemostatic resuscitation. METHODS: Patients with early coagulopathy (International Normalized Ratio >1.3) who were admitted directly from the scene within 1 hour of injury were identified in our institutional trauma registry. We analyzed these data for the presence of TAC, predictors of early and delayed TAC, and evolution of TAC during the first 24 hours of admission. RESULTS: Of 2,473 patients, 290 (12%) had early TAC (International Normalized Ratio >1.3) and 271 (11%) developed delayed TAC. Multivariate analysis identified female gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.25 [1.11-1.41]), lower pH (OR 0.08 [0.015-0.47]), lower hemoglobin (OR 0.96 [0.95-0.97]), lower temperature (OR 0.82 [0.70-0.95]), and blunt mechanism (OR 0.49 [0.33-0.71]) as factors significantly associated with development of early TAC. Progression of early TAC occurred in 64%, and these patients had more severe abdominal injury and received more emergency room crystalloid. Of patients with early TAC who did not receive fresh frozen plasma, only 49% developed worsening coagulopathy. Patients with isolated intracranial hemorrhage had higher rates of bleeding progression (75% vs. 20%, p < 0.005) in the presence of early TAC. CONCLUSIONS: TAC may appear in an early or delayed form and its presence and progression are associated with a number of identifiable factors. Although TAC commonly progresses, it also resolves spontaneously in many patients. Further research is required to identify which patients with TAC require hemostatic treatment, although those with intracranial hemorrhages seem to warrant aggressive therapy.

Transarterial embolization with n-butyl cyanoacrylate for the treatment of active abdominopelvic bleeding in the polytraumatized patient.

PURPOSE: An increasing number of polytraumatized patient presenting with active abdominal pelvic bleeding (APB) have been treated by endovascular selective embolization. However, reports on evaluate the efficacy, safety and complications caused by this technique have been limited. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of embolization of APB using N-butyl cyanoacrylate glue (NBCA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single center retrospective study, that included consecutive 47 patients presenting with traumatic APB treated by embolization with NBCA between January 2013 and June 2019. The efficacy endpoint was defined as the absence of contrast extravasation immediately after procedure and clinical stabilization in the following 24 h after procedure. Clinical stabilization was defined as no rebleeding after embolization or the need for a surgical approach until the patient is discharged. Safety endpoint were any technical or clinical complications related to the embolization procedure. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 38.6 years (3-81), with a predominance of males (87.2%). The major causal factor of APB being involvement in a car accident, accounting for 68% of cases. Of the 47 cases, 29.8% presented pelvic trauma and the remaining (70.2%) presented abdominal trauma. The efficacy rate was 100%, while no complications related to the procedure were observed. The mortality rate was 14.8% (7/47) due to neurologic decompensation and other clinical causes. CONCLUSION: Endovascular embolization of traumatic abdominopelvic bleedings appear to be a highly safe and effective treatment, while avoiding emergent exploratory open surgeries.

Prevalence of virological and serological markers of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population of Ribeirão Preto, Southeast Brazil: an epidemiological survey.

INTRODUCTION: This epidemiological household survey aimed to estimate the prevalence of the current and past SARS-CoV-2 infections in Ribeirão Preto, a municipality of southeast Brazil. METHODS: The survey was conducted in two phases using a clustered sampling scheme. The first phase spanned May 1-3 and involved 709 participants. The second phase spanned June 11-14, 2020, and involved 646 participants. RESULTS: During the first phase, RT-PCR performed on nasopharyngeal swabs was positive at 0.14%. The serological tests were positive in 1.27% of the patients during the first phase and 2.79% during the second phase. People living in households with more than five members had a prevalence of 10.83% (95%CI: 1.58-74.27) higher than those living alone or with someone other. Considering the proportion of the positive serological test results with sex and age adjustments, approximately 2.37% (95%CI: 1.32-3.42) of the population had been cumulatively infected by mid-June 2020, which is equivalent to 16,670 people (95%CI: 9,267-24,074). Considering that 68 deaths from the disease in the residents of the city had been confirmed as at the date of the second phase of the survey, the infection fatality rate was estimated to be 0.41% (95%CI: 0.28-0.73). Our results suggest that approximately 88% of the cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of the survey were not reported to the local epidemiological surveillance service. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study provide in-depth knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and are helpful for the preventive and decision-making policies of public managers.

Prehospital resuscitation with hypertonic saline-dextran modulates inflammatory, coagulation and endothelial activation marker profiles in severe traumatic brain injured patients.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates interrelated inflammatory and coagulation cascades characterized by wide-spread cellular activation, induction of leukocyte and endothelial cell adhesion molecules and release of soluble pro/antiinflammatory cytokines and thrombotic mediators. Resuscitative care is focused on optimizing cerebral perfusion and reducing secondary injury processes. Hypertonic saline is an effective osmotherapeutic agent for the treatment of intracranial hypertension and has immunomodulatory properties that may confer neuroprotection. This study examined the impact of hypertonic fluids on inflammatory/coagulation cascades in isolated head injury. METHODS: Using a prospective, randomized controlled trial we investigated the impact of prehospital resuscitation of severe TBI (GCS < 8) patients using 7.5% hypertonic saline in combination with 6% dextran-70 (HSD) vs 0.9% normal saline (NS), on selected cellular and soluble inflammatory/coagulation markers. Serial blood samples were drawn from 65 patients (30 HSD, 35 NS) at the time of hospital admission and at 12, 24, and 48-h post-resuscitation. Flow cytometry was used to analyze leukocyte cell-surface adhesion (CD62L, CD11b) and degranulation (CD63, CD66b) molecules. Circulating concentrations of soluble (s)L- and sE-selectins (sL-, sE-selectins), vascular and intercellular adhesion molecules (sVCAM-1, sICAM-1), pro/antiinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL-10)], tissue factor (sTF), thrombomodulin (sTM) and D-dimers (D-D) were assessed by enzyme immunoassay. Twenty-five healthy subjects were studied as a control group. RESULTS: TBI provoked marked alterations in a majority of the inflammatory/coagulation markers assessed in all patients. Relative to control, NS patients showed up to a 2-fold higher surface expression of CD62L, CD11b and CD66b on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and monocytes that persisted for 48-h. HSD blunted the expression of these cell-surface activation/adhesion molecules at all time-points to levels approaching control values. Admission concentrations of endothelial-derived sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin were generally reduced in HSD patients. Circulating sL-selectin levels were significantly elevated at 12 and 48, but not 24 h post-resuscitation with HSD. TNF-alpha and IL-10 levels were elevated above control throughout the study period in all patients, but were reduced in HSD patients. Plasma sTF and D-D levels were also significantly lower in HSD patients, whereas sTM levels remained at control levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support an important modulatory role of HSD resuscitation in attenuating the upregulation of leukocyte/endothelial cell proinflammatory/prothrombotic mediators, which may help ameliorate secondary brain injury after TBI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00878631.

Abdominal compartment syndrome in trauma resuscitation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Swelling is inexorably linked to shock and resuscitation in trauma. In many forms, swelling complicates and interacts with traumatic injury to raise pressures in the abdomen, resulting in intraabdominal hypertension, which may overtly manifest as abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) driving multiple organ failure. Despite renewed clinical interest in posttraumatic intraabdominal pressure, there remains a chiasm between knowledge of the risks and clinical interventions to mitigate them. This review provides a concise overview of definitions, risk factors, diagnosis and management using an illustrative trauma case. RECENT FINDINGS: Intraabdominal pressure commonly increases following trauma, wherein ACS may manifest earlier than generally appreciated and complicate other insults such as shock and hemorrhage. Contemporary resuscitation strategies may exacerbate intraabdominal hypertension, particularly massive crystalloid resuscitation. Although unproven, the recent transition to crystalloid restriction and high plasma resuscitation strategies may influence the prevalence of ACS. Nonetheless, aggressive intraabdominal pressure monitoring should be mandatory in the critically ill. Despite potential nonoperative options, decompressive laparotomy remains the only definitive but often morbid treatment. SUMMARY: ACS results from many dysfunctions acting in concert with each other in self-propagating vicious cycles. Starting with greater awareness, it is imperative that the growing knowledge should be translated into clinical practice.

Abnormal coagulation tests are associated with progression of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is common in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a major determinant of death and disability. ICH commonly increases in size and coagulopathy has been implicated in such progression. We investigated the association between coagulopathy diagnosed by routine laboratory tests and ICH progression. METHODS: Subgroup post hoc analysis from a randomized controlled trial including adult patients with blunt severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score or=1.3, activated partial thromboplastin time >or=35, or platelet count (PLT)

Temporal distribution of trauma deaths: quality of trauma care in a developing country.

BACKGROUND: Examination of the epidemiology and timing of trauma deaths has been deemed a useful method to evaluate the quality of trauma care. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of trauma care in a regional trauma system and in a university hospital in Brazil by comparing the timing of deaths in the studied prehospital and in-hospital settings to those published for trauma systems in other areas. METHODS: We analyzed the National Health Minister's System of Deaths Information for the prehospital mortality and we retrospectively collected the demographics, timelines, and trauma severity scores of all in-hospital patients who died after admission through the Emergency Unit of Hospital das Clinicas de Ribeirao Preto between 2000 and 2001. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 787 trauma fatalities in the city: 448 (56.9%) died in the prehospital setting and 339 (43.1%) died after being admitted to a medical facility. In 2 years, 238 trauma deaths occurred in the studied hospital, and we found a complete clinical set of data for 224 of these patients. The majority of deaths in the prehospital setting were caused by penetrating injuries (66.7%), whereas in-hospital mortality was mainly because of blunt traumas (59.1%). The largest number of in-hospital deaths occurred beyond 72 hours of stay (107 patients-47%). CONCLUSION: The region studied showed some deficiencies in prehospital and in-hospitals settings, in particular in the critical care and short-term follow-up of trauma patients when compared with the literature. Particularly, the late mortality may be related to training and human resources deficiency. Based on the timeline of trauma deaths, we can suggest that the studied region needs improvements in the prehospital trauma system and in hospital critical care.

[Treatment of injuries in emergency departments: characteristics of victims and place of injury, São Paulo State, Brazil, 2005]. / Atendimentos de emergência por lesões decorrentes de causas externas: características das vítimas e local de ocorrência, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, 2005.

The objective of this study was to analyze the characteristics and place of occurrence of injuries treated in emergency departments. A total of 35,107 emergency department visits for injuries were analyzed, excluding traffic injuries, in São Paulo State, Brazil, 2005. The majority of victims were male (59.1%), and from 0 to 29 years of age (62.1%). Leading causes were falls (39.3%) and accidental blows (16.5%). Most injuries occurred in the home (64.7%), followed by public places (19.9%). Assaults were more frequent in public. Women were more likely to suffer injuries at home, as compared to men (OR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.48-0.53). Men were 1.34 times more likely to be injured in public places, 3.22 times in bars, and 2.82 times in the workplace. A higher proportion of events among children aged 0 to 9 and individuals 60 years or older occurred at home. The results highlighted the home as an important place for the occurrence of injuries, which should be considered when planning injury prevention programs.

The implementation of the Medical Regulation Office and Mobile Emergency Attendance System and its impact on the gravity profile of non-traumatic afflictions treated in a University Hospital: a research study.

BACKGROUND: The public health system of Brazil is structured by a network of increasing complexity, but the low resolution of emergency care at pre-hospital units and the lack of organization of patient flow overloaded the hospitals, mainly the ones of higher complexity. The knowledge of this phenomenon induced Ribeirão Preto to implement the Medical Regulation Office and the Mobile Emergency Attendance System. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of these services on the gravity profile of non-traumatic afflictions in a University Hospital. METHODS: The study conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 906 patients older than 13 years of age who entered the Emergency Care Unit of the Hospital of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto. All presented acute non-traumatic afflictions and were admitted to the Internal Medicine, Surgery or Neurology Departments during two study periods: May 1996 (prior to) and May 2001 (after the implementation of the Medical Regulation Office and Mobile Emergency Attendance System). Demographics and mortality risk levels calculated by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) were determined. RESULTS: From 1996 to 2001, the mean age increased from 49 +/- 0.9 to 52 +/- 0.9 (P = 0.021), as did the percentage of co-morbidities, from 66.6 to 77.0 (P = 0.0001), the number of in-hospital complications from 260 to 284 (P = 0.0001), the mean calculated APACHE II mortality risk increased from 12.0 +/- 0.5 to 14.8 +/- 0.6 (P = 0.0008) and mortality rate from 6.1 to 12.2 (P = 0.002). The differences were more significant for patients admitted to the Internal Medicine Department. CONCLUSION: The implementation of the Medical Regulation and Mobile Emergency Attendance System contributed to directing patients with higher gravity scores to the Emergency Care Unit, demonstrating the potential of these services for hierarchical structuring of pre-hospital networks and referrals.

Pro/con debate: does recombinant factor VIIa have a role to play in the treatment of patients with acute nontraumatic hemorrhage?

Perhaps it is not surprising that in the critical care environment, where lives are frequently on the line, off-label use of certain drugs is relatively common. In general, there are two camps of opinion on this type of utilization. One camp would suggest that potentially life saving products cannot ethically be withheld from patients who may benefit. The other camp would counter that it is inappropriate to administer products if the risk/benefit ratio has not been clearly defined in clinical trials. Off-label use of factor VII is debated in this issue of Critical Care for a patient with uncontrolled nontraumatic hemorrhage. Perhaps this product promotes additional discussion given that its ability to control bleeding can be dramatic, yet its costs and potential for complications high.

Hepatic injury.

Hepatic trauma occurs in approximately 5% of all admissions in emergency rooms. The anatomic location and the size of the liver make the organ even more susceptible to trauma and frequently in penetrating injuries. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma established a detailed classification system that provides for uniform comparisons of hepatic injury. Diagnosis of hepatic injury can be sometimes easy; however the use diagnostic modalities as diagnostic peritoneal lavage, ultrasound and computed tomography allow faster and more accurate diagnosis. Nonoperative management of the hemodynamically stable patient with blunt injury has become the standard of care in most trauma centers. Few penetrating abdominal lesions allow conservative management; exceptions can be some penetrating wounds to right upper abdominal quadrant. Operative treatment of minor liver injuries requires no fixation or can only be managed with eletrocautery or little sutures. Major liver injuries continue, despite technical advances, a challenge to surgeons. Many procedures can be done as direct repair, debridement associated to resections, or even in more severe lesions, packing. This constitutes a damage control which can allow time to recovery of patient and decreasing mortality shortly after trauma.

Curbing Inflammation in hemorrhagic trauma: a review.

Trauma is one of the world's leading causes of death within the first 40 years of life and thus a significant health problem. Trauma accounts for nearly a third of the lost years of productive life before 65 years of age and is associated with infection, hemorrhagic shock, reperfusion syndrome, and inflammation. The control of hemorrhage, coagulopathy, optimal use of blood products, balancing hypo and hyperperfusion, and hemostatic resuscitation improve survival in cases of trauma with massive hemorrhage. This review discusses inflammation in the context of trauma-associated hemorrhagic shock. When one considers the known immunomodulatory effects of traumatic injury, allogeneic blood transfusion, and the overlap between patient populations, it is surprising that so few studies have assessed their combined effects on immune function. We also discuss the relative benefits of curbing inflammation rather than attempting to prevent it.

Diaphragmatic hernia repair more than four years after severe trauma: Four case reports.

INTRODUCTION: Diaphragmatic rupture is an infrequent complication of trauma, occurring in about 5% of those who suffer a severe closed thoracoabdominal injury and about half of the cases are diagnosed early. High morbidity and mortality from bowel strangulation and other sequelae make prompt surgical intervention mandatory. CASE PRESENTATION: Four Brazilian men with a delayed diagnosis of a rare occurrence of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia. Patient one had diaphragmatic rupture on the right side of thorax and the others three patients on the left thoracic side, all they had to approach by a laparotomy and some approach in the chest, either thoracotomy or VATS. This injuries required surgical repositioning of extensively herniated abdominal viscera and intensive postoperative medical management with a careful control of intra-abdominal pressure. DISCUSSION: The negative pressure of the thoracic cavity causes a gradually migration of abdominal contents into the chest; this sequestration reduces the abdomen's ability to maintain the viscera in their normal anatomical position. When the hernia is diagnosed early, the repair is less complicated and requires less invasive surgery. Years after the initial trauma, the diaphragmatic rupture produces dense adhesions between the chest and the abdominal contents. CONCLUSIONS: All cases demonstrated that surgical difficulty increases when diaphragmatic rupture is not diagnosed early. It should be noted that when trauma to the thoraco-abdominal transition area is blunt or penetrating, a thorough evaluation is required to rule out diaphragmatic rupture and a regular follow-up to monitor late development of this comorbidity.